Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino - or CGS - is a band from Salento - a sub-peninsula of the Italian Peninsula, sometimes described as the "heel" of the Italian "boot”.

Back in 1975, Rina Durante, a writer and champion of the culture of Salento, had the idea that it would be great to have a band that could both carry on and expand upon the distinctive music, dance and linguistic traditions of the region. She recruited Daniele Durante who became the original musical leader of the band. In 2007 Daniele passed the Baton to his son, fiddler, percussionist and singer Mauro Durante.

Today, the 7-piece band are leaders among a new wave of roots revival bands from Southern Italy. In 2010 CGS won Italy’s MEI award as Best Italian World Music Group.

The music of CGS is inspired by the traditional dance of Salento, driven by the hypnotic rhythms of the tamburello frame drum. Those rhythms drive the legendary trance-dance ritual, the pizzica tarantata, said to cure the taranta spider’s bite with its frenzied trance dances.

Over the years, in its two incarnations, the band has released 18 albums and played all over the world. And mainly on those albums you’ll hear traditional song or songs based primarily on traditional forms. But - the band’s excellent new album, Canzoniere (on the Ponderosa Music label) - which means Songbook - is different. While you'll still hear many traditional instruments and rhythms on the new disc, there's very little strictly traditional repertoire. Instead Mauro collaborated with an array of major pop songwriters to compose new songs, marrying the band's distinctive contemporary roots-inspired style with the Western Pop song.

On tonight’s show, Mauro sends us an audio postcard about the album, a fascinating new turn for the band, giving us the background and introducing several of the songs. Plus he guest-DJs a set of music by Italian artists spotlighting songs that incorporate elements of traditional music.

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Sat. 1/27/18 8:28pm
Ken From Hyde Park:
Hey, Aaron ... Doing pretty well considering I went snowboarding with my daughter today (second time ever). I whomped my tailbone a couple times, so trying to find a comfortable sitting position. We had fun, so that's the main thing.

Sat. 1/27/18 8:30pm
Ken From Hyde Park:
@Linda Lee - We were at Bellayre, so probably not far from your general vicinity.